Baltimore Ravens 01/05/2008 1:35 PMThe Dayton Daily News reports Ohio State's LB Marcus Freeman wants to play in the pros someday, but he decided after listening to former teammates in the NFL that he's not in a rush to get there. The second-team All-Big Ten linebacker was one of 13 juniors and third-year sophomores with the Buckeyes to ask the NFL for an estimate about their draft prospects. And although Freeman said he received a favorable report, he intends to come back for his senior year.Read more
Baltimore Ravens 01/05/2008 1:33 PMESPNâs Len Pasquarelli reports MichiganState junior WR Devin Thomas, who ranked among the NCAA leaders in four major receiving and kickoff return categories for 2007, will forego his final season of college eligibility and enter the 2008 NFL draft, ESPN.com has learned. Thomas, who has already filed the necessary paperwork with the league office, is expected to be selected in the first or second round, according to a source. He likely will make a formal announcement next week.Read more
Baltimore Ravens 01/05/2008 1:31 PMESPNâs Joe Schad reports Illinois junior RB Rashard Mendenhall will enter the NFL draft, a source close to him said Saturday. Mendenhall, the Big Ten player of the year, made his final case as a pro prospect in the Rose Bowl, where he gained 155 yards rushing and added 59 receiving yards in the Fighting Illini's loss to Southern California. In 2007, Mendenhall rushed 262 times for 1,681 yards -- an average of 6.4 yards per attempt -- and 17 touchdowns.Read more
San Francisco 49ers 01/04/2008 8:03 PMAP reports one NFL scout called LB Patrick Willis "a beast." And that was before Willis won The Associated Press 2007 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Willis' dominant performance could have been overlooked because his San Francisco 49ers went 5-11 in a mediocre division. Instead, his league-leading 174 tackles and presence all over the field made him a runaway winner and the fifth straight linebacker to take the honor. Willis earned 48 votes Friday from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Only Carolina LB Jon Beason, with two, also received votes.Read more
